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Ignite Alabama - Sparking Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Alabama

About This Show

Show Info:
Ignite Alabama spotlights Alabama start-ups and entrepreneurs who are building a 21st century economy in Alabama. The show also covers the latest research and technology that paves the way for innovation in business. The mission of Ignite Alabama is to spark innovation, creativity, and new ideas that empower and equip Alabama residents to start businesses and grow Alabama's economy. Ignite Alabama is a Shinecast® show by Sheree Martin.

Most Recent Episode

The Business of Sustainable Farming with Matthew & Jesie Lawrence of Marble Creek Farmstead

Jun 28
·
44 minutes

Matthew & Jesie Lawrence, owners of Marble Creek Farmstead, are my guests on episode 19 of the Ignite Alabama podcast. Marble Creek Farmstead is a sustainable farming operation in Talladega County producing pastured poultry and pork, along with a variety of produce and other specialty meets. One of the biggest challenges for Alabama poultry producers has been the lack of a USDA-certified poultry processing facility in the state (and limited availability or other meat processing facilities for smaller producers of beef, pork or other meats). Matthew Lawrence, who has an MBA and finance background, and his wife Jesie, who has a business degree in marketing, saw a need AND a business opportunity to bring USDA-certified poultry processing to Alabama and started working earlier this year to solve that problem. In April, they opened Pell City Processing at The Trading Post. Matthew and Jesie own a majority interest in the venture. Matthew & Jesie take a wholistic approach to farming and problem-solving or prevention on the farm. They uses a systems approach, to achieve synergies that result from a complex natural ecosystem working as it is designed to work. Rather than seeking to simplify, Marble Creek Farmstead is about embracing complexity and letting nature do a lot of the work, which builds resiliency into the business model. I’m a big believer in the power of sustainable agriculture to be a force in the economic transformation of rural communities and small towns all across Alabama. I hope you’ll join me in spreading the word about how important it is to support entrepreneurs who are working in the farming, value-added food sectors, and related fields. This episode includes about 75-80% of my interview with Matthew and Jesie. I edited out a few segments that are very farming focused. If you want to hear the entire episode, I’m releasing the full conversation as episode 24 of the Shine Springs Farm Shinecast, also available on iTunes and I’ll include a link to where you can download or stream the full Shine Springs Farm Shinecast version episode in the show notes for this Ignite Alabama version over at IgniteAlabama.com